Chapter 558

Chapter 558:

Now, Ashton was pinned in a defensive stance, unable to take action.

If Alisha were conscious, perhaps they could have worked together to escape this deadly predicament and even capture the assassin. But with her unconscious and facing a formidable opponent like Red Jack, he couldn’t risk making a reckless move that might endanger her further.

Seeing Ashton’s hesitation, Red Jack’s lips curled into a smug grin, his eyes gleaming with confidence. “You were so sure a minute ago, weren’t you? Talking big about how I wouldn’t be able to leave. What’s changed now? Oh, right… you don’t want her to get hurt, do you?”

Ashton snorted, his expression unreadable. “I’m just waiting for backup to corner you. I don’t know this woman well. If I have to sacrifice her to stop you, so be it.”

Red Jack raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Really? She seemed pretty comfortable around you earlier.”

Ashton’s voice remained cold. “That’s her choice, not mine. If you’ve done your homework, you’d know this is only the second time we’ve met. She means nothing to me.”

In reality, Ashton was deeply concerned about Alisha’s safety. He was employing this cold façade to unsettle Red Jack, hoping to provoke a mistake that would give him an opening to rescue her.

As Ashton spoke, his hand slowly moved behind him, his fingers wrapping around a silver needle. One slip-up from Red Jack, and he’d strike.

However, Red Jack showed no signs of unease; his grin only widened, his eyes gleaming with malice.

“Ah, so I made a mistake in my investigation. It turns out you’re also a heartless person, aren’t you?” he sneered.

“I only care about people who matter to me,” Ashton replied flatly, his voice betraying no emotion.

𝓞𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓲𝓷 𝓼𝓲𝓽𝓮 → 𝓰ⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀﹒𝓬𝓸𝓶

Suddenly, Red Jack let out a laugh, sharp and unsettling. “How about we play a little game?”

With a swift motion, he pulled a small, pale green pill from his sleeve and forced it into Alisha’s mouth before shoving her to the floor.

Ashton’s eyes widened in shock, but before he could react, Red Jack raised his hands in a mock gesture of surrender, as if giving up.

“You’ve already seen the effects of our gas bomb earlier, haven’t you?” Red Jack’s voice dripped with amusement. “This pill’s got the same poison, just way more concentrated. It’s in her system now. She’s got one minute before it kills her. I won’t resist being captured, but you’ve got ten seconds to decide: save her or take me in. The choice is yours.”

Ashton’s heart clenched. Red Jack had clearly seen through his earlier bluff and was now forcing him into an impossible decision.

But there was no real choice. Alisha was in this dire situation because he had asked her to help evacuate the guests; she was in danger because of him.

Without a second thought, Ashton rushed to her side, kneeling down to check her condition.

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